From Renaissance ideals to Ebenezer Howard's Garden City, architects and urban planners have created some of the most famous cities with specific ideals in mind. The author mentions an 8th century Kyoto, which had a grid system modeled from China's Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an), long before Manhattan existed; a scaled-down version was made of Nara, the capital before it; the city had temples, shrines, and delicate gardens to the city's backdrop of mountains. 15-minute cities were polarizing in the UK due to their association with low-traffic neighborhoods; Blooming with parks, temples and huge statues, Ramesses II's Pi-Ramesses, was built on the banks of a now-dry branch of the Nile, but was little more than a lost city buried under Egyptian fields for 3,000 years. In the wake of Europe's Black Death, Renaissance idealists harked back to Roman and Greek settlements, developing the concept of the Ideal City. Architects such as Maverick Filarete named his pioneering, star-shaped prototype the Sforzinda. Lastly, urban planner Ebenezer Howard sought a way for normal working-class families to escape the city, leading to garden cities such as Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City that influenced the capital cities of New Delhi and Canberra.
Stellantis, formerly PSA, has warned that if the UK and EU do not adjust the so-called rules of origin requirements for the automotive industry, they may be forced to close their factory at Ellesmere Port in north-west England. These tariffs are set to rise to 10% for exports next year. This story shows that Brexit is becoming a ‘live’ issue again, especially as Sir Keir wants to arrest the slow death of the car industry, but doesn’t want to join a customs union with the EU? It raises broader questions about how ambitious the UK should be in the five-year review of the TCA in 2025, and with EU relations more generally. The Windsor framework deal has unblocked relations with Brussels but the Windsor framework still needs to be delivered in practice.
UK water bills will rise on average by £91 per year for up to a century to pay for sewage improvements, according to industry body Water UK. The group apologised on behalf of water companies for the discharge of sewage into watercourses before announcing that £10bn in investment would be made in storm overflows. Investors will initially fund the improvements after which bill payers will be charged gradually. The investment aims to reduce annual spills by up to 140,000 by 2030, compared with the level of spills that occurred in 2020.
India has been accused of suppressing academic freedom due to interference from Prime Minister Modi's government, suggesting the country is not the democracy it's portrayed to be. One Australian researcher and former director of the Australia India Institute claimed it had become a "government-supported think tank" and that academic freedom had been stifled on discussions around the country's caste and class issues. Subsequent drops in India's academic freedom ranking caused New Delhi to denounce the assessment, while the Australian government chose to stay silent on the issue while promoting closer commercial ties with India. Critics suggest that it highlights the challenges associated with countries balancing the promotion of democratic values against economic links, particularly when autocratic regimes set themselves up as primary suppliers of fast-growing markets such as India.
Police in New South Wales are facing criticism following the alleged tasering of a 95-year old woman with dementia at a care home in the city of Cooma. Officers were called to the Yallambee Lodge care home after reports of the resident carrying a knife. The woman was tasered in the chest and back and received a fractured skull and brain bleed, and is deemed to be in a critical condition. Groups including the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties and People with Disability Australia have responded with concerns over the incident, calling for it to be treated with the "utmost seriousness" by officials.
Dianne Feinstein, the oldest member of the US Senate, has developed Ramsay Hunt syndrome and brain inflammation after contracting shingles, her office has said. The 89-year-old California Democrat developed encephalitis and returned to Washington last month after nearly three months of absence. Members of her own party have called for her to resign, citing her health as reasons she is no longer fit to serve. She is not seeking re-election in 2024 and several Democratic members of Congress have already entered the race to replace her.
New measures that severely curtail access to abortions in North and South Carolina are expected to force more women to seek terminations in Virginia, placing more pressure on the state's already strained abortion providers. Meanwhile, Republican-controlled legislatures in Florida and South Carolina are seeking to ban almost all abortions after six weeks. Whole Woman's Health, which operates two clinics in the area and a telehealth facility that provides abortion pills by mail, was seeing more women cross state lines prior to last June's Supreme Court decision.
Topless dancers at a strip club in Los Angeles have formed the only union for their work in the US in a move the Actors' Equity Association called "historic". Performers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood unanimously voted in favour of unionisation on Thursday after the owners withdrew their opposition. The group said that improved pay and benefits, healthcare, and safer working conditions were their main objectives. All 17 dancers voted in favour of the measure, making them the only currently known unionised topless dancers in the country.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that the Western allies are "steadfast" in their support for Ukraine, warning Vladimir Putin "we're not going away". During a round of interviews at Hiroshima’s Seifukan tea house, Sunak stated that the Russian President needs to understand this message, and told Putin that they cannot "outlast us in this conflict". The UK is introducing a ban on Russian diamonds, which was worth more than £3bn ($4.29bn) to Russia in 2021, and also prohibiting imports of Russian-origin copper, aluminium and nickel, hoping other countries will follow suit. The move is aimed at applying further pressure on Putin and his supporters, and the three-day summit will also discuss military and economic support for Ukraine, economic stability, and the security of Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression. Sunak will also visit the A-bomb dome ruin with his Japanese counterpart to reflect on the atomic devastation in the Second World War.
A group of Conservative members gathered in Bournemouth for the formal launch of the Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO), founded by allies of Boris Johnson who want to hand Tory decision-making powers to members. However, the conference was more notable for member complaints about the direction of the party. Compounding such complaints is a sense of uncertainty following the Conservative’s local election results earlier this year. With members seen as the bedrock of the party’s activist base, it’s unclear what the party will do to coalesce with a broad coalition voter base while listening to increasingly divergent concerns from members. While some party members blamed the Conservatives’ state on a “bloated bureaucracy” and taxes, one key issue raised was discontent over the government’s immigration and Brexit policies. The CDO was a haven for many “disgruntled Conservative supporters” with its central calls for party reform. Meanwhile, a separate three-day National Conservatism Conference in London hosted a broader range of right-wing speakers, with the notable absence of the Conservative party present.
Although the Tory party’s leadership appears united, there are worries over how long this could last, with some speculating about the possibility of replacing Sunak before the next election, while more discussions have generated speculation on whether the Conservatives can maintain its current coalition voter base. With polls indicating an average 17-point lead for Labour, there is concern among Conservative members about what the party should be offering up as its core vote-winning policy. Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns, who opened the CDO conference, raised eyebrows by noting that “I look around colleagues myself and think, you belong in the Lib Dems, actually”. Former home secretary Priti Patel suggested the local election results “is a moment to recalibrate”.
Despite the issues facing the Conservatives, there was one unifying theme across the two right-wing conferences – a vehement criticism of political correctness and a pivot toward more traditional conservatism/populism. Attendees such as Miriam Cates and Danny Kruger have cited "reproductive rights” and “sense of family values” as central tenets of their politics. Former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg warned that a change of leadership once more would make the party look “ridiculous”. Nonetheless, the unease and increased discussions among party members could lead to a fracturing if they perceive that the party is shifting too far from its traditional base.
Backgrid, a California-based photo agency, has been criticised after it refused to hand over photographs taken of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who were travelling in New York City last week. The couple had described the behaviour of paparazzi during a “near catastrophic” car chase as “aggressive and determined” but Backgrid’s legal team told the couple’s lawyers that the California legal system does not recognise royal prerogative. Backgrid had been sent a demand by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for copies of all photos and video taken by the paparazzi. The legal communication from Backgrid was widely condemned as an insult to the couple and the journalists who died in the Paris car crash in August 1997 that cost Princess Diana her life.
The incident involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has highlighted issues surrounding the safety of celebrities and other notables travelling in public places. New York Police Department has warned Paparazzi over their behaviour and Mayor, Eric Adams has even called for new aggressive driving laws to be introduced. A lack of specific legal protection means that in the US, there is no specific legislation enforcement agencies can use to deal with the issue. In the UK, celebrity “stalking laws” do exist and cover paparazzi activity, but images of public figures can still be legally obtained while they go about their daily lives in public spaces.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said “cars in New York are not really my priority” after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s team said they avoided a “near catastrophic car chase” in the US city. Police in New York confirmed that there were no arrests, injuries or reported collisions but said “numerous photographers” had “made their transport difficult” on Tuesday evening. The trip to America was Harry and Meghan’s first public appearance together since the duchess’s absence from the King’s coronation earlier this month. Chris Sanchez, a member of the couple’s security team, has said: “The public were in jeopardy at several points. It could have been fatal”, however, photographers denied the reports.
A new BBC/PBS documentary miniseries about the Northern Ireland Troubles, called “Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland,” opens with the question: “For what?” The five-part series recounts the war from the 1960s to the peacekeeping Good Friday Agreement in 1998 using personal testimonies and archive footage. With a lack of commentary from an authoritative narrator, director James Bluemel aims to emphasise introspection in a balance of accounts from civilians of both sides and IRA recruits, a UDA bomber, and a British soldier to provide a more complete and emotive picture of a troubled region.
Photo agency Backgrid has refused to hand over photographs to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex involving an alleged car chase in New York. The couple and one of their mothers were reportedly in danger due to a "ring of highly aggressive paparazzi." Harry and Meghan had been at a gala event, their first public appearance together since the duchess missed the King’s coronation on May 6. Backgrid rejected a formal demand from the couple's legal team for copies of all photos, videos, and films taken after the event.
Comedy playwright, actor and singer Victoria Wood’s life and work is to be celebrated with the creation of a prize for comedy writing and a new release of her sketches. The Victoria Wood Playwrighting Prize for Comedy was announced by the Birmingham Rep to coincide with Wood’s birthday on 19 May. The award will be the first major theatre prize dedicated to comedy writing. Wood studied drama at the University of Birmingham and began her career in theatre. A new double-album release of her sketches from her show, Victoria Wood As Seen on TV has also been announced, as has a re-issue of her script compendium, Chunky, edited by the author of her official biography, Jasper Rees. Wood died in April 2016. In 1985, she became one of the first women to break into stand-up comedy, and in 2006 was awarded a CBE in recognition of her contribution to the performing arts.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has issued a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Western allies, including the UK, are “not going away” and will support Ukraine's resistance against the invasion. Speaking at the G7 summit in Japan, Sunak said that the west was “steadfast” in its support of Ukraine and that Russia would “pay a price” as he announced new areas of sanctions, which include banning Russian diamonds and prohibiting imports of Russian copper, aluminum and nickel. Amid hopes that allies will follow the UK's lead, Sunak also said he is “hopeful and confident” that Britain's partner countries will impose similar sanctions, making them more effective and ensuring that Russia pays a price for its “illegal activity”.
TV host and former cricketer Freddie Flintoff waited "in agony" for 45 minutes following a car crash while filming Top Gear, according to The Sun. Flintoff was airlifted to hospital last December after the open-topped three-wheel Morgan Super 3 he was driving is said to have flipped over and slid along the track. It is claimed his vehicle was not equipped with an airbag. Flintoff suffered a broken rib, as well as facial and jaw injuries in the crash. The report also alleged crew members felt "insufficient checks" had been made before filming began. The future of the long-running show is in doubt.
UK chancellor Rishi Sunak has insisted that Brexit is done and that his government has “delivered the result of the referendum”. Speaking in Japan at the G7 summit, Sunak said the debate surrounding the UK’s exit from the EU had been held “multiple times”. The comments come despite concerns that if Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer becomes prime minister he will attempt to renegotiate the Brexit deal.
Labour is calling for lower trade barriers with the EU within 18 months of winning office. However, Sunak has insisted that the trade deal negotiated so far is “incredibly deep”.
Meanwhile, Sunak has set himself a pre-election target of reducing UK net migration to less than 500,000 annually, more than double that which Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to reduce it to. Sunak noted that immigration was too high and that he was “committed” to reducing it to the level inherited when he became prime minister. At that point, the net migration figure averaged 500,000 annually, though the figure is expected to exceed 700,000 in new data to be released this week.
Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan will return to the BBC’s Test Match Special coverage for the Ashes, following his clearance of racism allegations earlier this year. Vaughan had previously written for the Telegraph and worked for Fox in Australia, both of which stood by him throughout the affair. Neither he, nor five other individuals who played at Yorkshire, have worked for the BBC since allegations of racism caused them to leave the franchised Twenty20 team two years ago.
The Northern Ireland BBC's coverage of the 2017 general election has been hit by strike action taken by the National Union of Journalists over job cuts and programming alterations. While online and radio bulletins will still be available, the broadcaster had planned to provide a full results service via TV, radio and internet from noon on 19 May. The BBC said it deeply regretted the walkout, and added it is currently increasing its investment in online services. The NUJ has now suspended a work-to-rule on 20 May so some coverage will still be broadcast.
